Risen
by BG-13
Summary: Kuvira has accomplished much. Su always said she would. Just a short drabble. Legend of Korra oneshot.
1. Chapter 1

She sat behind the same desk _she_ had. Looked out over the same city she had grown up in, and sworn to protect. But this time, she was not that little eight year old, or one of _her_ personal guards. This time she had returned, and now looked over the city, as its leader. Conqueror, some said. That just wasn't the way of it. She better than most knew what technological treasures were hidden in Zaofu. And it seemed a waste, and rather selfish of Su to keep it that way.

Liberation, is what Kuvira saw this as. Not a take over, not conquering.

As a little girl, she had sat in this same seat, and watched as Su masterfully dealt with each visiting noble or world leader. Su would stand just before the small table, and she would spin tales and churn out such beautifully crafted words. In the end, each dignitary could only agree with what the youngest of the Beifong siblings had laid on the table. It amazed Kuvira, and filled her with such inspiration.

From the beginning of her time with Su and her family, just after her eighth birthday, she'd heard talk of how ancient and outdated the monarchy system was. Kings and Queens were no longer necessary titles to the new and improved, modernized world. Su believed more in the people's own power, what each individual was cable of if given the chance. To Kuvira, Su had been an ideal idol, someone the tiny girl looked up to. For it was Su who had first invested time in the little orphan girl's undeniable skills, whether it be in Metalbending or other efforts.

_"Never forget that anyone is capable of great things, Kuvira," she had told her one day. "And I believe that you will grow to accomplish something fantastic, something unlike anything the world has ever seen." Su's faith in the child was astounding. For she could see what potential lied dormant, buried in the depths of those ever grassy green eyes. There was a gleam in them, something the matriarch identified with.  
_

_"Really?" Little green eyes had looked up at the Metal Clan leader, bright with hope, absorbing every word._

_"Absolutely. Everyone will see what you've done and cheer, and I will be the proudest among them."_

She had done great things. And Su had proven to be a hypocrite. Proud? Kuvira scoffed. That was not what Suyin was. Suyin had expressed nothing but disgust for this plan Kuvira had put blood, sweat and tears into. This was what the Great Uniter had been working towards for three years. It was what was best for the Earth Empire. How could no one see that?

_"I would like for Kuvira to be one of my own personal guards," Su had told the Head of Security, when Kuvira was freshly out of training and barely fifteen._

_The stone faced man couldn't deny the capability of the newest of recruits. Her Metalbending prowess rivaled that of any of his men and women. Neither could he deny that Kuvira was smart, and born to be a leader herself one day. The younger woman stood next to Su, still in uniform, Su's hand resting on her shoulder in reassurance. In the end, he hadn't seen a problem adding the girl to the detail._

Kuvira did feel sadness for how things had turned out with her surrogate mother. But she had come so far. And not even her pseudo family could stand in her way. Was it not the sign of a great leader if they put their country above family, above all else? She no longer sought Su's approval, acceptance, but that did not make the dull ache in her chest any less. Kuvira straightened and turned from the window, back toward Su's old desk - her new desk. Su was no longer relevant.

_"I won't let you down, Suyin."_

_"I know."_

* * *

_**This is the kind of indepth stuff I wish we could've gotten for Kuvira. They kept hinting at this strong bond Kuvira and Su had but we've hardly seen any of it. Although, I'll admit that I could feel some emotion in that fight in episode ten, and I love that it was Su that fought her. It was personal that way. I just wish there was more of that. **_

_**Anyway, this just popped into my head and I noticed there weren't many of these stories about. A shame really. So let me add my own contribution to the mix.**_

_**I'm out. Peace. **_


	2. Chapter 2

Her steps were precise and determined as she walked into one of the three newly erected metal tents. She only acknowledged the guards long enough to tell them to give her privacy with the newest prisoner. Su's head lifted upon Kuvira's entrance and her eyes narrowed.

"Hope you're comfortable."

Su's jaw clenched but she remained silently indignant.

"You ought to try and not be so predictable, Suyin," the Great Uniter continued on, nonplussed by the matriarch's silence. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you tried something. Even the Avatar was surprisingly reasonable compared to you."

Su stared, hating how she was being confined in this stupid platinum pod. "You don't know reason. I thought my husband and I had taught you better, taught you the value of freedom and having the option to choose. But you're too blinded by your own power hungry madness to listen! This was the only way to bring you down."

"And it worked like a charm," she replied dryly. A moment of silence, and Su watched as Kuvira turned her head so that she was staring off to the side, focusing hard on some unknown spot. "Were you only going to kidnap me? Or were you going in for the kill?"

It was a loaded question, and one Su had not been prepared to answer. Even now, looking at the woman that had become a tyrant, she could still see glimpses of the little girl she had raised and taught. The answer mattered to the woman standing straight and proud. It wouldn't change what would happen to the older Metalbender, but it still mattered to Kuvira.

"Whatever needed to be done."

Kuvira closed her eyes and breathed deep through her nose. So that's how it was. "I see." Any traces of the old guard vanished as her eyes once again met Su's, harder than before. "Once I have taken Zaofu, you and your family-" No longer her family. No longer her home. "- will no longer be a problem." Kuvira turned on her heel and started toward the exit.

Su watched her go, a horrible sadness clawing at her heart, and blurring her vision.

* * *

_**Okay so I lied. Not a one shot...but also not a cohesive story. So yeah. I guess I might pop out a few more of these. Kuvira may be a sociopath but Azula was a psychopath and we all loved her. They both deserve some love! Ha! **_

_**Reviews are most loved. Make me very happy.**_

**_I'm out. Peace._**


	3. Chapter 3

_The other children ran around the courtyard, screaming, laughing and trying to catch each other. They were playing tag, and Wei, at least Kuvira thought it was Wei, was it. The other twin and Bataar Jr. were quick to dodge, even when Wei used his Earthbending to try and trip them up. The newest addition to the Metal Clan watched, fascinated. Huan sat grumpily in the gazebo, the nine year old looking bored by his brothers' activity. The raven haired girl had noticed that he was a little more...aloof than his siblings._

_The boys had invited Kuvira to play, but she had declined. She didn't really feel like playing, something she appeared to share with Huan._

_Footsteps on the marble caught her attention and she quickly stood and turned to see the leader of the Metal Clan approaching, and her daughter, Opal, clinging to her robe. The matriarch had a serene smile on her face as she watched her kids, and Kuvira felt a sudden pang of envy for them. She been abandoned less than two weeks ago. Her parents hadn't wanted her. She had been a burden, had meant nothing to them. And here these kids had a mother and father who clearly loved them. She lowered her grassy gaze to the ground, shutting them in hopes of stopping the tears. The eight year old was sick of crying._

_Suyin motioned for Opal to go play, the seven year old's wide light emerald eyes meeting her mother's before she ran off into the fray. Kuvira watched her go, but then Suyin's hand on her shoulder made her face the older woman. "Why aren't you playing with the others?"_

_"I didn't feel like it."_

_The dark haired woman nodded her understanding, more than aware of the reasons. She took a seat on the top step and patted the spot next to her. The girl hesitated slightly before doing as requested, only taking a seat one step down from the woman that had welcomed her into her home. Suyin and Kuvira sat in silence for a moment, watching as Wing practically tackled Bataar, knocking his glasses askew. Kuvira managed a smile._

_"It's hard, not having your parents around, having to adjust to a new place," the Metalbender stated, not taking her eyes off her children. Opal was trying to pull Wei off Wing, but the boys paid her no mind, even at five years old they could hardly be moved._

_Kuvira didn't reply, only looked at her hands that lay clasped together in her lap._

_Carefully, Suyin pulled the young girl to her, one arm wrapped firmly but gently around her shoulders. Kuvira wasn't sure what to do with this. This was new. "Why didn't they want me?" It escaped without her permission, but she wanted an answer so bad that her chest ached. She looked up, up toward Su's sympathetic gaze. "Did I do something wrong?"_

_Su sighed, as if she herself could feel the burden placed upon the child's shoulders. "Sometimes, people just aren't who we want them to be." She ran a hand through thick black locks. "You didn't do anything wrong."_

The former Great Uniter sat in her wooden prison, every piece of metal stripped from her, leaving only green clothes behind. She sat back against one of the walls, simply waiting for whoever was supposed to visit her. Two weeks since she lost, two weeks since she'd surrendered. Most of her injuries had healed, though her ribs still hurt and the bruises had started to turn yellow. She heaved a giant sigh, shutting her eyes in hopes that maybe she'd be left alone.

Steps thudded against the wooden floor, stopping just before her cage. "I'm not in the mood for visitors today."

"I'm not quite sure if you're in any position to be picky."

The all to familiar voice made Kuvira slowly open her eyes, meeting her adoptive mother's gaze head on. No...she wasn't her mother...not anymore. Not according to Su. "Hello, Suyin." She had meant for the words to come out even, but her voice betrayed her by barely making it above a whisper.

Su's gaze wavered ever so slightly, softening minutely before she forced any of those softer emotions away. "Hello, Kuvira."

Silence followed, and that hurt more than any other form of punishment her keepers could ever come up with. This almost tangible gap, canyon had formed between them. And the younger woman had no one to blame but herself. "I'm... I've already said this, and I know it's not enough...but I'm-"

"I don't want your apologies."

"Then you're here to gloat?"

"No, I-"

"Then why are you here?" she snapped. She hadn't meant to, but if Su had just came here to torment her then she didn't want any part of this. "What could you possibly want from me? I surrendered, you won. Rebuild the Republic and Zoafu. But please, don't pretend you just wanted to come by and check on me! Oh!" Green eyes were alight now as she stood and approached the wooden bars that kept her and Su apart. Eyes lit with a fire the older Metalbender hadn't seen in a very long time. Not since the girl's first weeks of living with her and her family. It told of defeat, and a will to try and at least make it a little longer before that fire would be reduced to embers. "You just wanted to make sure I was sincere! That I wasn't secretly planning to slaughter you all! Well guess what, Mother, you can-"

She stopped. And Su's eyes widened. Kuvira looked to the floor, cursing her slip. And then there was nothing keeping her up anymore, she collapsed to her knees, hands still gripping the beams and forehead pressed against wood. You could have heard a pin drop in the quiet that followed her outburst, and then Kuvira let tears well up in her eyes but she blinked them back.

"It's been a long time since you've called me that."

The Uniter said nothing as she refused to look Su in the eye. She was just so tired. Su inhaled deeply, then slowly released the breath as she sat down on the floor, one hand reaching through the bars and caressing midnight black hair gently. "Where did I go wrong?"

Kuvira scoffed, but did not move from Su's reach. "When you decided that the lives of our people meant nothing to you." She finally looked up, and Suyin was surprised by the amount of emotion swirling in deep pools of moss green. "You abandoned them, Su."

_You abandoned me. _

Neither said it, but Suyin could tell that her actions, or lack there of, had felt like a betrayal. "Kuvira..." Kuvira seemed to loose her fight. And still, Su's hand messed with her surrogate daughter's hair.

"You were willing to kill me, like I was just some stray you picked up off the street and then had bit you. Only one way to deal with dangerous mutts, right?"

"You were becoming something I didn't recognize."

"Yet, aren't you the one who believes in second chances, that anyone can redeem themselves? I heard you welcomed Bataar back with open arms. But not me. I don't get that luxury." No resentment. Just fact.

Su couldn't think of what to say. There was nothing she could say.

_Kuvira had been watching her surrogate family as they each practiced their Metalbending. All except Opal and Bataar Jr., that is. Huan was boredly shaping the lump of metal while Wing and Wei threw theirs back and forth, picking up speed, trying to see how far they could push it. "Excellent technique boys!" Su encouragingly, grinning proudly. Kuvira messed with her own metal, absentmindedly, shifting the metal quickly from one shape to the other, each one blending into the next before it was fully recognizable. _

_"You picked up Metalbending exceptionally well." Su put a hand on the now ten year old's shoulder. "I'm very impressed."_

_"Thanks, Mom." Kuvira froze and the metal in her hand dropped to the ground. "I'm...I'm sorry. I-"_

_Suyin's light laugh cut off the young girl. "It's all right, sweetheart." Suyin then knelt down and placed a kiss on Kuvira's forehead. "You can call me whatever you're comfortable with. I don't mind."_

_Kuvira's smile came right before she hugged the older woman. _


	4. Chapter 4

_The elder Beifong was a crotchety old grump. That was Kuvira's first impression of the tiny woman. She was sixteen, and part of Su's guard. The Zaofu matriarch had given the raven haired young woman the task of escorting her mother. Kuvira had accepted without complaint, even at Toph's grumbles at not needing a babysitter._

_"My daughter must trust you if what I've heard of her demanding you be one of her guards holds any merit."_

_Kuvira hadn't attempted any conversation. She'd heard stories of how...grumpy...the first Metalbender could be, so she didn't see any need to try and make small talk. Toph probably wouldn't have appreciated the effort._

_"I suppose."_

_"She says she took you under her wing years ago."_

_"Yes."_

_Toph tilted her head, her unseeing eyes still trained straight ahead. Kuvira stood off to the side of the courtyard bench as they waited for Su and the rest of her family to join them._

_"You any good with those cables?"_

_"I manage."_

_"Don't go lying. Aiwei isn't the only truth-seer around these parts. Su claims your Bending rivals her own. Says your some sort of..." She paused, scratching her cheek in boredom. "I believe she used the word 'prodigy.'"_

_"I manage."_

_She knew better than to boast. Toph was the ultimate Earth and Metalbender._

_Kuvira had been resting on the balls of her feet, Toph knew. So when she sent a chunk of the wall at the younger woman, she actually wasn't surprised when she felt her roll away._

_Quick reflexes._

_Toph barely shifted her foot, but this caused the ground to rise below the uniformed teen. Kuvira pressed her hand on the lump of earth and it immediately responded by shooting her into the air. She was more than aware of what Toph was doing. This was all for the elder's amusement._

_Kuvira put up a decent fight, but in the end, Toph's aged experience trounced any attempt she made. One final pillar to the gut and Kuvira lay sprawled on the ground, breathing hard and looking around at all the damage. The courtyard was in ruin, rock and metal bits everywhere._

_"Mother, what did you do?"_

_Su's voice pierced the quiet that had gathered around the duo as she rushed over to her adoptive daughter._

_"Don't baby her Suyin. She's fine. She's just gathering what pride she has left after taking an ass kicking from an old woman."_

_The younger of the Beifong sisters looked over at her mother as Kuvira pushed herself up without Su's assistance. She brushed off her armor, then pressed her palm to her side to see what was hurt. A little sore. It would heal, she surmised._

_"But the kid didn't do...completely awful, I suppose. Her form's a little sloppy and some of those moves were weak. But I guess she's not a complete waste of talent."_

_Coming from Toph, Kuvira knew that was the best she was ever going to get. And apparently Suyin knew that as well, for she smiled, her hand resting on the girl's metal clad shoulder._

Kuvira glared down at the Beifongs as each member of her former family fought off her soldiers. She watched, eyes scanning the mess...and she turned just in time to dodge Su's surprise attack.

The attacks were lethal in design, especially when Su tried to crush her with one of the metal carts and Kuvira retaliated with a blade made from the metal pieces of her uniform. The Great Uniter was knocked over the side only for her to grab the rail and swing back up, knocking Su across the platform.

They had been reduced to this. There was no going back.

Eventually Kuvira managed to knock Su back to the hard ground below, and she watched as one of the twins brought her back over to the others. Her Mechs surrounded the small rebel party. Her upper hand was ripped away when Toph appeared to help her daughters. The master faced the ground, one finger pointed in Kuvira's direction.

"You give Metalbenders a bad name!"

The tyrant didn't even flinch, though she felt the slam all the way to her core. Kuvira watched the bison fly away, and all the adrenaline finally seemed to drain from her body in one giant breath.

You're almost done, she told herself. Your people are so close to being safe. It'll all be worth it in the end.


	5. Chapter 5

_"Momma, where are we going?"_

_The woman looked over at her husband out of the corner of her eye, sharing a glance before looking down at the little girl clutching onto the hem of her shirt. Bright eyes looked back, watching her mother with a weariness that never really left her._

_Momma and Daddy never took her with them when they went on trips. She was always left alone in their house, the walls echoing her loneliness ten fold back to her. So she was nervous, yet hesitantly excited by the prospect of them letting her tag along._

_"We have errands to run in the main city."_

_"Oh."_

_Her father's gruff voice spoke next. "We'll be quick, Kuvira."_

_Hand still holding firm to her mother's dark green shirt, Kuvira allowed her eyes to roam around to the sparkling, metal buildings that towered way above her head. The setting sun turned silver into dancing flames, bright and beautiful. The eight year old stared in wonder._

_It was a great contrast to the dark grey clouds just rolling in from the east._

_"Alright." Her father's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "We want you to wait right here," he said, pointing a stern finger at his daughter and then motioning to the concrete steps in front of an official looking building. "We should be done with our business within an hour."_

_Her mother wouldn't look at the girl, refusing adamantly to meet her gaze._

_Reluctantly, Kuvira let go of her mother. "Ok. What am I supposed to-"_

_"Just stay out of trouble. Think you can manage that?" His tone was harsh and the girl looked down at the steps, nodding quietly, not asking any other stupid questions._

_The man looked over at his wife. "We need to get going if we want to make__ it __back before the storm." He practically grabbed his wife's arm and dragged her away._

_And then Kuvira was all alone, standing in front of a building and in a city she knew next to nothing about. She sat down on the steps, waiting like she'd been told, a horrible feeling twisting in her gut._

_She waited._

_And waited._

_She waited even when the sun had set._

_She waited even when the first drop of rain caught on her eyelash._

_It started to dawn on her, while she sat on the steps of the deserted street, shivering ferociously from the cold, stinging rain, that they weren't coming back._

_No, she told herself. No. They wouldn't leave me. Momma and Daddy wouldn't leave me._

_The more she said it, the more she knew it was a lie._

_Her teeth started to chatter, and she sluggishly stood and made her way under the nearest covering, curling into a ball, shaking and crying. Not that anyone would've been able to tell the tears from the storm. Somehow, by some miracle, she found sleep waiting for her when she tired herself out._

Kuvira's fists slammed into the wall of her cell in a steady beat, the skin on her knuckles split open and bleeding and the bones shattered. Her mind had wondered into the deepest recesses of her forgotten memories. And she hated what it had found and had consequently started to use the thick wood as her punching bag.

Her eyes were stinging, whether from the pain or memories she'd never tell.

She'd meant nothing to her parents. She meant nothing to Su.

But she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't give either the satisfaction. She didn't need them. She didn't want them. They didn't want her.

_"Are you all right, sweetheart?"_

_"I'm...I'm lost."_

_"Shh. It's okay. You're safe now."_

* * *

**_Please forgive me for all the feels. _**

**_Reviews make me very happy. _**

**_I'm out! Peace!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_Kuvira knew better than to wake her parents. By the time she'd turned three the notion of running to her parents' room during a storm or after a nightmare would only get her in a whole lot of trouble. Her father didn't like being woken up in the middle of the night because of his daughter's 'petty problems.' Momma had used to let her crawl up in the bed next to her and would loosely hold her._

_But then her father had told the woman to stop coddling her and those moments ceased. The first few times Kuvira had challenged that law had all ended horrible for both the women in the house._

_That's why Kuvira had made it a habit to sneak into the kitchen and get herself a glass of water. The six year old would sit at the plain wooden table, her feet dangling above the ground._

_"Kuvira, what are you doing?"_

_Her mother's voice was quiet, soft, tired. Nonetheless it startled the little girl and she almost knocked over the glass. Kuvira froze, waiting, listening for the telltale stomp that would signal her father's awakening. Nothing. She sighed in relief before turning her attention to her momma. Looking at her, Kuvira wondered why her mother seemed to be eternally weighed down, seemingly forever accepting of her fate and lot in life._

_"I had a nightmare," Kuvira answered as her mother trudged across the kitchen and took a seat next to her daughter. The elder of the two slumped into her seat before her hand reached out toward the container that sat on the table in the middle, opening it and removing one of the treats Momma had made earlier that day. She shut the lid and put the container back where it'd originally sat. Without looking at the tiny girl next to her, she offered her the sweet cake._

_Skeptic green eyes looked between the tempting treat and the woman holding it. She wasn't supposed to have sweets. Dad never thought she deserved them. She was always screwing up. After a moment, and as the treat remained held out toward her, Kuvira cautiously took it, muttering a small thank you and began to nibble at it._

_The older ravenette placed her now free hand on the back of Kuvira's head, not moving, not stroking the hair there. The hand just sat there, a sort of comforting, soft pressure. Kuvira's wide green eyes stared at the adult as she carefully took another bite._

_"This can be our secret," her mother finally spoke, blinking, but still not looking at her daughter. "The cake will help with the nightmares."_

_"How?"_

_At this, a tiny, barely there ghost of a smile appeared on the woman's face. "It'll give you sweet dreams."_

* * *

She was thirteen now, and once again she found herself in Suyin's kitchen late at night. She allowed herself to savor the sweet cake from the jar sitting on the counter. She herself sat at one of the many long tables in the place, having been unable to actually get any sleep.

Kuvira heard the door open and listened as bare feet padded toward and up beside her. "Kuvira?" Opal's small voice broke the silence as she tugged on the older girl's sleep shirt.

The teen looked down, smiling lightly. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Me neither," Opal answered, climbing up to sit on the high stool next to her adoptive sister. "I had a bad dream," she admitted.

Kuvira hummed, glancing at the child before sliding her half full glass of water over the table toward her. Opal took the glass without question while Kuvira grabbed another pastry from the jar. The smaller of the two took the treat with a wide grin and took a big bite out of it. She nearly startled, however, when she felt one of Kuvira's hands rest on the back of her head in a gentle, affectionate gesture.

"Mom won't like me having one of these so late."

A smirk slid onto Kuvira's face. "Then this will have to be our secret," she replied easily.

Opal met the Bender's amused gaze and smiled.

* * *

_**No idea where this came from. I just really wanted to do something with Opal and Kuvira. Like, seriously, it needed to be done. **_

_**I'm Out! Peace!**_


End file.
